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Friday, January 7, 2011

Day 6: Working with Clear Tar Gel

Here is a 6" x 6" panel that I've also been using to experiment with different kinds of acrylic gels:

First I spread a layer of molding paste over the panel and let it dry. Then I painted the round cluster of coal shapes with a needle applicator and fluid acrylic, and let that dry. Next, I spread a transparent layer of iridescent white over the whole thing. Then I smothered it in a thick layer of clear tar gel, which is a very thick acrylic gel with the consistency of melted toffee or caramel. While that was still wet, I drizzled Payne's Grey fluid acrylic into it. The image isn't really anything much at the moment, but the technique is very attractive:

The tar gel dries very clear, and it's so thick that the paint I drizzled into it sits high off the previous layers, giving it great translucency and depth:

It's another texture to think about as I work on this series over the next few months.